The Best House Plants

De Jideon F Marques

Introduction We all have the need to nurture and care for other living things. Maybe you aren’t ready for a cat, dog, or fish, but bringing home a houseplant can fulfill that need. Place a plant on the windowsill and it will add living beauty to your home. Wake up every day and it will greet you as it cleans the air and improves your mood. Houseplants ask for so little but add so much life to a home. The care of that green friend falls solely on the owner. Being successful in that undertaking is important, so our hope is this book can help you keep your green roommate alive, healthy, and vibrant. There is no such thing as a natural green thumb. Many believe either you are born with one or not. The claim of having a brown or black thumb has had many dead plants placed at its doorstep. Yet having a green thumb is just a matter of paying attention to the needs of your plants and noticing when they are trying to tell you something. Killing a plant or two (or more) is not a crime, and can be a good learning experience. Don’t be discouraged, as growing beautiful plants is easy if you have the time and pay attention to their specific needs, and this book will show you how to do that. Time restraints are another popular excuse as to why someone has no plants in their home. One easy plant can take less than five minutes a week to care for, and the benefits it brings will lead to a desire for more greenery in your life. Having plants continually die leads to frustration and possibly plastic plants. Not acceptable. When a few key components such as lighting preference, water, and placement are understood and correctly executed, your plants will thrive. Liking and being successful with plants has more rewards than are always apparent. Plants have been proven to clean the air around us. B. C. Wolverton, a NASA scientist, conducted many experiments in the 1980s and found that plants remove VOCs—volatile organic chemicals—from our indoor environments. These chemicals can come from carpet, paint, manufactured furniture, household cleaning products, and more. One plant can remove most of the VOCs from a 100-square-foot area. An important aspect of owning houseplants is the undeniable therapy that caring for plants affords us. In this uncertain, sometimes scary, fast-paced world, slowing down to care for something that is dependent on us can be therapeutic. Pick up a plant, remove dead leaves, check the growing medium for water, and wash the leaves with a soft cloth or sponge. Move quietly from plant to plant, or maybe you prefer to sing, hum, or talk to your plants. No judgment here. One plant may become many more when the time it takes to care for one plant isn’t enough to untangle the knots from the day. Many professional people own large collections of plants for just this reason. Working with their plants takes them away from the enormous stress of their jobs. As Elvin McDonald wrote in his book Plants as Therapy, “I believe that plants have enormous potential for maintaining emotional stability and . . . improving the lives of human beings.” Nothing truer can be said. Quite often, if you have a problem with a houseplant, you search online for information and help. But not every piece of information floating around on the Internet is true or pertinent to the specific plant for which you are caring. The information in this book will dispel the myths and misinformation about successfully raising houseplants. Plant societies are another good source of information. If you wish to learn as much as you can about a family of plants, such as cacti and other succulents, orchids, or African violets, join a plant society in your area. The people in these clubs have usually been growing those plants for a long time. Nothing beats the hands-on knowledge of people who have successfully grown a family of plants. Because they love their plants, they are more than willing to share their expertise. They want you to succeed with your plants. Besides, it

• Idioma: Português
• Editora: Clube de Autores
• Data de lançamento: 1 de jan. de 2024

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The best house plants: A beginner's guide to making house plants thrive

The best house plants

A beginner's guide to making house plants thrive

How to choose the right plants for your space and lifestyle Copyright © 2024 - Jideon Marques

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Cover

Introduction

We all have the need to nurture and care for other living things. Maybe you aren’t ready for a cat, dog, or fish, but bringing home a houseplant can fulfill that need. Place a plant on the windowsill and it will add living beauty to your home. Wake up every day and it will greet you as it cleans the air and improves your mood. Houseplants ask for so little but add so much life to a home. The care of that green friend falls solely on the owner.

Being successful in that undertaking is important, so our hope is this book can help you keep your green roommate alive, healthy, and vibrant.

There is no such thing as a natural green thumb. Many believe either you are born with one or not. The claim of having a brown or black thumb has had many dead plants placed at its doorstep. Yet having a green thumb is just a matter of paying attention to the needs of your plants and noticing when they are trying to tell you something. Killing a plant or two (or more) is not a crime, and can be a good learning experience. Don’t be discouraged, as growing beautiful plants is easy if you have the time and pay attention to their specific needs, and this book will show you how to do that.

Time restraints are another popular excuse as to why someone has no plants in their home. One easy plant can take less than five minutes a week to care for, and the benefits it brings will lead to a desire for more greenery in your life. Having plants continually die leads to frustration and possibly plastic plants. Not acceptable. When a few key components such as lighting preference, water, and placement are understood and correctly executed, your plants will thrive. Liking and being successful with plants has more rewards than are always apparent. Plants have been proven to clean the air around us. B. C. Wolverton, a NASA scientist, conducted many experiments in the 1980s and found that plants remove VOCs—volatile organic chemicals—from our indoor environments. These chemicals can come from carpet, paint, manufactured furniture, household cleaning products, and more. One plant can remove most of the VOCs from a 100-square-foot area.

An important aspect of owning houseplants is the undeniable therapy that caring for plants affords us. In this uncertain, sometimes scary, fast-paced world, slowing down to care for something that is dependent on us can be therapeutic. Pick up a plant, remove dead leaves, check the growing medium for water, and wash the leaves with a soft cloth or sponge. Move quietly from plant to plant, or maybe you prefer to sing, hum, or talk to your plants. No judgment here. One plant may become many more when the time it takes to care for one plant isn’t enough to untangle the knots from the day. Many professional people own large collections of plants for just this reason.

Working with their plants takes them away from the enormous stress of their jobs. As Elvin McDonald wrote in his book Plants as Therapy, I believe that plants have enormous potential for maintaining emotional stability and . . . improving the lives of human beings. Nothing truer can be said.

Quite often, if you have a problem with a houseplant, you search online for information and help. But not every piece of information floating around on the Internet is true or pertinent to the specific plant for which you are caring. The information in this book will dispel the myths and misinformation about successfully raising houseplants. Plant societies are another good source of information. If you wish to learn as much as you can about a family of plants, such as cacti and other succulents, orchids, or African violets, join a plant society in your area. The people in these clubs have usually been growing those plants for a long time. Nothing beats the hands-on knowledge of people who have successfully grown a family of plants.

Because they love their plants, they are more than willing to share their expertise.

They want you to succeed with your plants. Besides, it is a wonderful way to interact

with people. Joining a plant group can help you find like-minded people who don’t tune out when you talk nonstop about your plants.

I hope the information in this book will give you the confidence you need to bring a plant or two home to improve your environment and give it a warmer, more comfortable feeling that will bring joy to those who enter. You may find that almost before you know it, people entering your home will comment, It’s like a jungle in here! Is that a bad thing? I think not. It is a good thing!

1

Planting

In every houseplant owner’s life, the time comes to get your hands dirty. Plants grow, increase in size, and eventually need to be moved to a new container. In certain situations, it may mean the plant is moved into a similar-size container, returned to the same container, or moved into a larger container.

This process is one that can be enjoyable, knowing that you are helping your plant grow better. Providing it with the best potting medium for its particular needs ensures the root system can function well and provide the plant with what it requires for optimal growth.

Repotting or up-potting are easy tasks, if done correctly and at the right time for the plant. Assess the needs of the plant you are working with. Is it root-bound? Is it looking undernourished or off-color? Does it need a new, clean pot or a different color

pot to match your décor? Keep in mind the size container you need for your plant when shopping for a new pot. Measuring the old container to determine the size needed before purchasing a new one can be helpful. If up-potting a plant, make sure this is being done at a time when the plant is actively growing. The plant will show you its thanks by pushing out new, healthy growth.

POTTING SUPPLIES

Before getting started, make sure all the supplies you may need are at hand.

POTTING MEDIUM (PREMOISTENED)

SOIL SCOOP

CLEAN CONTAINERS IN ASSORTED SIZES

STAKES

SCREEN

PLANT TAGS

PENCIL

TIES

SAUCERS

GLOVES

WATER

KNIFE

NEWSPAPER OR PLASTIC

This Pilea involucrate ‘Norfolk’ is residing in its utilitarian grower’s pot and will be moved into the decorative pot on the right.

When up-potting, only change to a pot the next size up, unless the plant is extremely root-bound. You may well up-pot a plant many times during its lifetime.

Repotting and Up-Potting

Repotting most often involves moving a newly purchased plant from the utilitarian grower’s pot to a more decorative pot of the same size. Inspect the roots when repotting: If the pot is full of roots and seems root-bound, you may have to repot in a larger container. Also, check that the depth of the plant in the potting medium is correct. Quite often, the stems are buried in ½ to 1 inch of extra soil. Remove the superfluous soil and pot the plant at a better depth. Repotting is also necessary if your pot gets broken or you notice an accumulation of salt residue on the pot rim.

If your container has broken or a fertilizer salt residue has built up on it, changing pots—not changing the size—can become necessary.

This ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, has filled the container with roots and is unable to grow successfully any longer.

When up-potting, or moving your plant to a larger container, do it gradually. If you are moving a plant from a 4-inch pot, move up to a 6-inch pot, a 6-inch pot to an 8-inch pot, and so on. Moving a plant to a much larger pot can cause problems. If a plant has too much soil surrounding its rootball, it may cause the roots to rot, as they cannot use all the water available to them.

What are some of the indicators your plant needs to be up-potted? One of the most obvious is your plant is top-heavy. If your plant starts to dry down, it may topple over

because the plant is heavier than the pot, soil, and water in the soil combined. Find a more proportionate container, making sure you do not choose a container too large for your plant. If your plant isn’t root-bound, it may be that you need to choose a heavier container, such as one made of clay or ceramic, which will better support your plant.

The roots have grown through the holes in the bottom of the pot. To successfully remove the plant, it may be necessary to cut the roots off.

The pot may have to be cut away from the roots to enable the plant to be removed from the pot. If it is a clay pot, the plant may have to be cut out or the pot broken.

The ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, has been up-potted to a larger container that will allow the plant to spread its roots and grow more successfully.

The fiddle leaf fig had roots showing at the top and so soil was added.

If, when you water your plant, the water sits on top of the medium and takes excessive time to run out of the drainage hole, it may be a sign the medium is broken down and compacted. Medium decomposes in the container and can become compacted over time, not leaving enough air spaces for the water to run through. This isn’t healthy for the plant and it may need a larger pot, but at the very least, fresh medium.

TIP: ORGANIZE FOR REPOTTING AND UP-POTTING

Repotting your houseplants can be a daunting task, but one that can be made easier by being organized. Gather all your tools and the appropriate potting medium for the plant you are working with ahead of time. If you do not have a potting bench, or you consider your kitchen countertop the potting bench, spread newspaper or a tarp before beginning this messy process. Have a scoop available for potting medium; a

knife for stubborn plant removal; clean, sanitized containers and saucers; plant tags; and a pencil.

On